5 Fascinating Facts We Learned On IDEA FitFeed This Week

Week: 8/24/13 to 8/30/13

Stay ahead of the game with the latest health and fitness news found on IDEA FitFeed. This innovative tool pulls the top health, fitness and nutrition headlines being shared by fitness professionals around the web and posts them in one convenient location. The top trending articles come from a variety of sources including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, MindyBodyGreen, BBC News, ScienceDaily, Greatist, IDEA Fitness Journal and many other leading news outlets. Catch up with the top five facts we learned from IDEA FitFeed this week.

1. Gut Microbes Play an Important Role in Health

Our gut microbes may have an important role in mental health, according to this article from The Verge. In this piece author Carrie Arnold explains how simply prescribing probiotics helped a teenage girl overcome her mental disorders. Arnold then delves into the research supporting this connection between the brain and the gut. Although research on this subject is still young, many experts believe that a better understanding of these microbes and how to keep them healthy may solve many psychiatric problems. “Each year, I get more and more impressed at how important the GI tract is for healthy mood and the controlling of behavior,” says psychiatrist James Greenblatt in the article. View the full article here.

2. Twitter May Help Shed Light on Dietary Behaviors

This article from The Huffington Post reviews a recent study from the University of Arizona which found that Twitter may be an important tool in understanding the relationship between eating behaviors and reasons for eating. The study asked students to tweet about everything they ate and why they ate it in order to paint a clear picture of the relationship. The researchers found that “there are, in fact, relationships, and those relationships do seem to align with the ones in the literature, which shows that convenience and cost are among the main motivators for consuming food.” View the full article here.

Changing up your exercise regimen can help you feel better, be more productive and may even fight off midday fatigue. According to this article from The Wall Street Journal, there are many habits that can affect your fatigue levels throughout the day, and the time and intensity of your workout may be a big one. The story suggests that, while exercising any time is beneficial, midday may be best for reducing fatigue. James McKenna, a professor of physical activity and health at Leeds Metropolitan University in England, says in the piece that “a workout [midday] can give you an energy boost lasting three to four hours.” Some other changes the article suggests people consider are watching what they eat, staying hydrated and eliminating sitting time. View the full article here.

All children returning to school this fall can expect healthier food options under the United States Department of Agriculture’s new nutrition standards. This IDEA Fit Tipsarticle reviews the USDA’s new “Smart Snacks in Schools” initiative and how it will affect schools and their students. First Lady Michelle Obama is quoted praising the standards in the article: “As a mom myself, I am so excited that schools will now be offering healthier choices to students and reinforcing the work we do at home to help our kids stay healthy.” View the full article here.

It is true that your metabolism slows as you age, but according to this Yahoo!article there are steps that you can take to prevent this slowing and keep your metabolism strong. This piece highlights 11 different lifestyle changes that can be made to enhance the body’s ability to burn more calories. The article touches on nutrition choices, exercise regimens, managing stress, getting enough sleep, cutting down on sitting time and more. View the full article here.

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About the Author

Jessica is an Editorial Assistant at IDEA Health & Fitness Association. She graduated from Colorado State University with a BA in journalism and a BS in health and exercise science. She has a GFI certification from ACE and is working on a Health Coach certification. Jessica is a long distance runner who has competed in half and full marathons. She enjoys running, hiking, walking her dogs, horse back riding and any outdoor activities.
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